Merida to Join the Disney Princess Line

[SillySymphony]

Well, I don't care for Merida's 'bear' shoulders.

I like that she looks like her Park contemporary who has just as enormous hair volume and that signature pose.

[Super Aurora]

That's cause yer gey. Of course you won't find her attractive.

If you think she's attractive, then yer gay.

That makes no sense LOL

[PatrickvD]

That signature is is so bizarre. What the fudge am I looking at?

[Super Aurora]

That signature is is so bizarre. What the fudge am I looking at?

It's a joke gif on latest bleach chapter that came out this week.

[Atlantica]

It looks like her face is a perfect circle in that banner ?! Not feeling it I'm afraid .... Though to be fair, most of the Princesses look quite peculiar in their clipart.

[Disney's Divinity]

I like that Merida isn't "conventionally" pretty like Ariel, Belle and the others. Is shows you don't have to be a glamor girl to be a princess and gives tomboy girls a princess they can relate to.

I wouldn’t care if she’s just plain (and I actually like her hair); that's actually what I liked about her when we first got some promo pictures of her. Having seen the film itself now though, I just think her face is badly designed is all.

[Linden]

One problem here: Merida isn't attractive. Disney Princesses are known as romantic ideals. PART of their appeal is the fairy tale. If you take away the romantic element, the song element and yes... the 'dress' element, what you are left with is a 'normal' tough girl who happens to be born into royalty. The other princesses are princesses because they act like them, she doesn't.

Princess isn't a character trait, it's a position a girl is born into. Sure, Disney's popularized the princess idea you wrote about, but even they know it doesn't mean that. We've had SO many gorgeous, singing, love-struck princesses, it's really refreshing to get one that breaks the mould so thoroughly. You don't really want all of them to be the same, do you? I actually think that's harmful to little girls.

I like that Merida isn't "conventionally" pretty like Ariel, Belle and the others. Is shows you don't have to be a glamor girl to be a princess and gives tomboy girls a princess they can relate to.

YES! Thank you. Merida is adorable. True, her face is an entirely different shape than any other princess, but it's so open and expressive. She's not ugly or gross by any means. She just has a different kind of beauty. And even if she were ugly, why would there be a problem with that? Is there some kind of unspoken rule that only attractive characters should make it onto the big screen?

I think Merida's clipart is really cute. It looks true to character, apart from the shoulder-baring dress. I actually like the dress. It's pretty. But Merida never wore that, and it seems historically inaccurate to me. Granted, I'm no history buff. It just doesn't seem very practical in the Highlands.

[Super Aurora]

I like that Merida isn't "conventionally" pretty like Ariel, Belle and the others. Is shows you don't have to be a glamor girl to be a princess and gives tomboy girls a princess they can relate to.

YES! Thank you. Merida is adorable. True, her face is an entirely different shape than any other princess, but it's so open and expressive. She's not ugly or gross by any means. She just has a different kind of beauty. And even if she were ugly, why would there be a problem with that? Is there some kind of unspoken rule that only attractive characters should make it onto the big screen?i

[Linden]

^I'm not really sure how that pertains to my comment, but I agree with the whole beauty trap issue.

That's the most confusing signature you've had. I've watched it over and over trying to figure out what's going on.

[Super Aurora]

^I'm not really sure how that pertains to my comment, but I agree with the whole beauty trap issue.

read the last panel. Basically addressing about the whole beauty/ugly issue on princess through satire imagery.

That's the most confusing signature you've had. I've watched it over and over trying to figure out what's going on.

Have you figure it out yet?
If you're a Bleach fan you probably should considering its from this week latest chapter .

[Disney Duster]

Merida is adorable. True, her face is an entirely different shape than any other princess, but it's so open and expressive. She's not ugly or gross by any means. She just has a different kind of beauty. And even if she were ugly, why would there be a problem with that? Is there some kind of unspoken rule that only attractive characters should make it onto the big screen?

Beauty matters just like everything matters. How you design a character matters. However, yes, there can be a not very attractive princess, which would then matter, because it makes a statement and allows non-pretty girls to feel good, and that matters. People here were talking about how pretty she looks, I was talking about how pretty she doesn't look. To only allow comments that are positive on a design would be unfair.

[Linden]

Beauty matters just like everything matters. How you design a character matters.

Beauty matters in some things, yes, but not very much. There are plenty of animated shorts and TV shows that aren't pretty but make you care about characters and the story. Beauty is nice, but not necessary every time.

However, yes, there can be a not very attractive princess, which would then matter, because it makes a statement and allows non-pretty girls to feel good, and that matters.

I'm not even sure where to start on this statement. I appreciate that you're trying to be more sensitive about the matter and replace ugly with more positive words. The sole purpose of a not very attractive princess would be to make not very attractive girls feel good about themselves? I'm sure you can't mean this, but that's exactly what it sounds like. That would be a shallow thing to say.

People here were talking about how pretty she looks, I was talking about how pretty she doesn't look. To only allow comments that are positive on a design would be unfair.

Agreed on the latter. You have every right to dislike her design. You even have a right to think she's ugly, if you want. The reason I brought this up though, is that you used such strong terms and that you've lamented the lack of perfect beauty in other Disney heroines before too (Snow White and Rapunzel, I believe). It's something I've been meaning to address for a while.

You've probably guessed, issues like these are some of my biggest pet peeves. I'm a feminist, and I'll argue about related issues till my dying day.

Super Aurora, I watched the first episode of Bleach once, and it piqued my interest, but for some reason or other, I didn't continue. I keep meaning to get around to it. I've never read any of the manga, though. I'm guessing this joke will fly over most of our heads.

[Vlad]

this is some funny s**t!

[Super Aurora]

this is some funny s**t!

Look up Oglaf. He does a whole bunch of these comics with high fantasy themes. They're really hilarious.

[Disney Duster]

Beauty matters just like everything matters. How you design a character matters.

Beauty matters in some things, yes, but not very much.

Tell that to Sleeping Beauty.

The sole purpose of a not very attractive princess would be to make not very attractive girls feel good about themselves? I'm sure you can't mean this, but that's exactly what it sounds like. That would be a shallow thing to say.

I'm sorry, but I did mean that. What would be the other reason to have non-attractive character designs, other than to serve a story where characters need to be unattractive for certain plot points to work, etc.

The reason I brought this up though, is that you used such strong terms and that you've lamented the lack of perfect beauty in other Disney heroines before too (Snow White and Rapunzel, I believe). It's something I've been meaning to address for a while.

I actually think Rapunzel is pretty except for her eyes being to big, like everyone elses in the movie. As for Snow White, true I don't think she's pretty enough but I have a good reason - she's supposed to be the fairest one of all.

I would not mind characters not being very attractive as long as they don't need to be for the story to work, and as long as they don't have bad designs, and I think Merida has a bit of a bad design.

However, since her story doesn't require her to be pretty, I don't need her to be. I'm just commenting that I don't think she's pretty when other people said they thought she was.

[Sotiris]

Source: http://www.purplepawn.com/2013/03/toy-f ... der-forge/

[Atlantica]

Do people really LIKE Merida ? That is the question I would like to know. She doesnt seem well-liked as the others do....

[Elladorine]

Look up Oglaf. He does a whole bunch of these comics with high fantasy themes. They're really hilarious.

Trudy's work is awesome.

[Tristy]

Do people really LIKE Merida ? That is the question I would like to know. She doesnt seem well-liked as the others do....

I think there are people who do. But yeah she isn't all that as well liked. But I don't think Pocahontas is as well liked either (or at least her movie isn't) and of course Snow White has her share of haters due to her voice.

[Linden]

Do people really LIKE Merida ? That is the question I would like to know. She doesnt seem well-liked as the others do....

Some people really do. She's some people's favorite princess. But most of us, I think, find it harder to like her because her flaws are so much more obvious than any of the other princesses (she selfish, impulsive, and whiny).